More often than not, throwing away the chance to sign a World Cup hero would be ludicrous, but in this case, West Ham United should take time to assess whether a move for Mario Gotze is worth it or not.

Sky Sports News reported on Thursday that the Hammers are among a number of clubs interested in the Borussia Dortmund midfielder.

Arsenal, Everton, Marseille and Valencia are also believed to be potential suitors for the 26-year-old, who scored the winning goal for Germany to clinch the World Cup in 2014.

Gotze's situation has changed dramatically in recent seasons, as he spent five months on the sidelines with a metabolic illness and failed to make the international team for this summer's World Cup in Russia.

Despite this, the midfielder managed to show glimpses of his quality during the 2017-18 campaign.

Across 32 appearances in all competitions, the former Bayern Munich star played a hand in vital attacking plays and created 31 shots on goal.

West Ham are screaming out for more creativity from the middle of the park, and even when not at his optimum best, Gotze - who Transfermarkt value at £16.2million - still delivered for his teammates last season.

One thing that he should have done more of, though, was score goals, as he only mustered two for his tally throughout the campaign.

Gotze's fitness concerns should not be ignored by the Hammers, and due to previous problems with injury-plagued players at the East London outfit like Andy Carroll, they should be more cautious than most.

However, the German World Cup winner has the quality to thrive in the Premier League, and that should outweigh the risk.

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